The vocabulary of the Ultimate Care II, its rhythmic chugs, spin cycle drones, rinse cycle splashes, metallic clanks and electronic beeps are parsed into an eclectic syntax of diverse musical genres. The result is a suite of rhythmic, melodic and drone-based compositions that morph dramatically, but remain fanatically centered upon their single, original sound source.

In Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Vancouver, Seattle and Houston Texas, Matmos will bring their 40 minute work of electro-acoustic exploration to the stage, with specially prepared video made by Matmos with Jamie Burkhardt.

Feel like you are descending deep into the innards of the machine. The washing machine. Come out…clean.

But that’s not all! Joining Matmos are two hand-picked other acts: Bully Fae (see post below) and Jeff Carey. Both of these short, sharp performances will be powerful worth-the-price-of-admission events in their own right.

We know we’re in the middle of a fancy Matmos tour of Europe with “Perfect Lives” right now but we are also, occasionally, a record label called Vague Terrain. It’s mostly a vanity label but every so often we hear something completely gobsmacking and feel that we MUST share it with the world and this is one of those times. To wit, there’s an album called “Defy A Thing to Be” by BULLY FAE and in just 22 minutes it lays waste to queer poetics with sick flows and abstract noise-chops and tight creepy smiles. If you search in the aesthetic Bermuda Triangle between Nicki Minaj’s bars on “Monster”, Ariana Reines, and a Ryan Trecartin character, you will find Bully Fae. You can buy the album on Bandcamp as of TODAY. We’re deeply stoked to say that Bully Fae will be appearing LIVE with Jeff Carey and MATMOS on our West Coast tour this December. For a short sharp taste of their tight-yet-abject style, check the video for “Elevator Pitch” linked below. Yeah it’s NSFW but c’mon you never let that stop you before.

Those of you who live on the Western Coast of North America, see what we do with our washing machine, live! The West Coast performances are opened by our friend, soundman, mastering engineer, recipient of prizes, Danish-educated in Sonology, comfortable and appropriate playing with death grind, but also with Matmos: Jeff Carey.

Matmos performs 3 acts from Robert Ashley’s opera about life, death, reincarnation, the Corn Belt, Giordano Bruno and Buddy, the worlds greatest piano player with a string section, back up vocalists, and bespoke video work. This is a major event for us, and we hope that you join us for it.

We’re not sure about this crowning glory business, but The West has been described as…

…a sun-bleached prairie-bound fandango, the San Franciscan duo of Drew Daniel and M C Schmidt pooled together traditional tropes and instrumentation for 1999’s The West. It remains the group’s crowning glory and closely follows the cross-pollinating template laid out by Chicago’s Gastr Del Sol on their wondrous Camoufleur album, released the previous year. …